


Just Like a Moth Drawn to a Flame

by Darkshines1984



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:48:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16227050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkshines1984/pseuds/Darkshines1984
Summary: The first time Vanessa and Charity get together again after Charity outed her in the Woolpack.For day one of Vanity Fest 2018.





	Just Like a Moth Drawn to a Flame

Vanessa spotted Rhona as soon as she entered the Woolpack. Her friend was stood by the bar, two pints already in front of her. The second person she noticed was Charity. The barmaid was collecting glasses across the other side of the pub and as soon as the other woman looked up and saw her, Vanessa ducked her head down.

She made her way over to Rhona – who greeted her by pushing the full pint glass in front of her. Vanessa wished that Rhona wasn’t parked by the bar, it would give Charity yet more opportunity to flirt atrociously at her. It had happened on a regular basis since they had slept together the night after Finn’s wake. She’d probably be a damn site more receptive to it if it hadn’t been for the way Charity then announced their liaison to the world and its wife. Not that she was unaffected by the other woman – Charity had the ability to make her heart race, her temperature rise, and her hair stand up on edge.

Vanessa knew that the other woman’s mouth was capable of far more than the barbed or suggestive comments that were often thrown her way – knew how a flirtatious hand to the shoulder or lower back felt when it was used in more pleasurable locations. Basically, Charity had spent six weeks teasing her and driving her wild whilst she desperately tried to resist the gorgeous blonde. Vanessa kept expecting to become old news to Charity – thought that if she ignored the barmaid that she’d get bored and stop. If anything, Charity was just getting worse. It had progressed from casual flirtation between the four walls of the Woolpack (usually offering her a quickie) to blatant flirtation in the street, the café, David’s shop – even the park once when they had both ended up there at the same time with Johnny and Moses.

Only this morning Charity had been stood behind her – literally pressed right up against her back - in the queue of the café. Vanessa had stood rigidly whilst waiting for her coffee, trying to pretend nothing was happening, whilst Charity whispered how hot she looked in her skinny jeans into her ear. Vanessa had felt like she was going to combust and by the time she had been able to escape with her take away cup of coffee in hand, she was red faced and out of breath.

“Everything okay?” Rhona asked.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Vanessa started to explain – but Charity was suddenly approaching so she cut off mid-sentence – suddenly hyper aware of the taller blonde’s proximity.

She expected Charity to pass behind her and head behind the bar with the empties – probably closer than was normally socially acceptable. Charity, ever unpredictable, did no such thing. Instead the taller woman stopped directly behind Vanessa and reached both arms around her, effectively pinning her against the bar.

“Sorry babe just need to put these down” Charity said casually as she placed the glasses down on the bar in front of Vanessa.

The rest of the bar was completely clear – every other customer was sat down at the tables. Charity couldn’t be more blatant in her attempts at seducing her – or mocking her – Vanessa was never certain of the boundaries between the two when it came to the taller blonde. She griped her pint glass harder with one hand, the other hand grasping at the pump directly in front of her. Charity seemed in no hurry to move away and instead nuzzled into Vanessa’s loose straight hair ever so slightly. Just enough to make Vanessa squirm both physically and emotionally.

“You smell really good by the way” Charity murmured.

The whisper of the other woman’s breath against her ear – and the flirtatious tone – drew an audible moan from Vanessa. She slammed her eyes shut in frustration – at Charity and at herself for reacting. She could feel a muscle in her jaw flickering and pulsing, she was so tense. Finally, Charity took pity on her and stepped back out of her space – vanishing off into the pub with a cleaning cloth in hand like her actions were totally normal.

Vanessa opened her eyes and downed half of her pint before daring to glance at her friend and colleague. The lager was cold, but it did little to take down her temperature or remove the sudden dryness she felt in her mouth. When she did look at Rhona she was embarrassed to find her friend staring at her with a look that was crossed between amusement and pity. Vanessa wanted the pub floor to open up and swallow her whole – it wasn’t obliging.

“You know she obviously fancies you right?” Rhona pushed.

“She’s got a funny way of showing it” Vanessa protested - “outing me like that.”

She knew Charity had to be attracted to her in some shape or form. The other woman had made plenty of complimentary comments over the last few weeks about her looks (and a lot about her abilities as a kisser). As much as Vanessa tried to pretend otherwise she was ridiculously physically attracted to Charity too. If she wasn’t then it would have been easy to just avoid the Woolpack – instead she found herself there more, having made more of an effort about her appearance. She was even wearing stupid expensive perfume tonight and Charity had noticed. All the attentiveness to these details thrilled Vanessa as much as it terrified her. Falling for Charity was dangerous – it would only get her hurt – it had already stung her once.

“Oh, that was inexcusable, but you do know your behaviour wasn’t great either” Rhona sighed.

Vanessa threw her friend a sideways glare. It was the other vets job to stand up for her and not Charity-bloody-Dingle. The glare didn’t dissuade Rhona from continuing her train of thought.

“I’m just saying…you willingly went to bed with her and had a great time by all accounts…then not only did you do a flit in the morning, but you also brought your date to the pub later in the day. I know she doesn’t exactly exhibit human emotions but that’s got to be a slap in the face for anyone.”

Vanessa shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. She’d made a bit of a fool of herself with Daz. She’d been thrown in a loop by how Charity had made her feel in comparison with…well…anyone else she had ever slept with. There had been no consideration about how her own confusion and embarrassment may appear to the other woman. She was still confused – not about her sexuality – that had become clearer now she had processed it all. She was confused about what she felt for Charity because as attractive as the woman was that Tracy had tried to set her up with afterwards, there hadn’t been the overwhelming physical desire she had felt towards the barmaid. Charity had also been different to how she had expected that night they had tumbled into bed together. The other woman had been surprisingly kind, patient and considerate. It had given Vanessa a glimpse at another side of Charity Dingle and she had liked what she saw. That had been the hardest and most confusing part of it all.

“Anyway, I need to pick up Leo” Rhona excused herself - “do you want me to wait for you to finish your drink?”

Vanessa knew she should probably throw the rest of the pint down her throat and leave the same time as her friend. Johnny was at her dad and Megan’s though and she would be going home to an empty house. An empty house without the temptation of the hot barmaid. She should go – she should really go.

“Nah I’m fine” Vanessa found herself saying instead.

Rhona slowly nodded her head – her expression unreadable. Vanessa suspected her friend saw right through her, but Rhona didn’t comment. Instead she took the last swig of her own pint and walked away towards the door – leaving Vanessa nursing her own half full pint and her troubled thoughts.

 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Chas had appeared from the back room before Charity returned to the bar. Vanessa had only taken a sip or two from her pint within the last couple of minutes – her mind occupied by the blonde Dingle and Rhona’s words. It wasn’t until she heard Charity’s voice that she looked up from the beer mat she had been turning in her hand.

“Tables are all clean” the taller blonde informed her cousin.

“Cheers” Chas replied.

Charity glanced at Vanessa briefly – too briefly for Vanessa to read anything into it – before turning and walking into the back of the pub. Obviously Charity’s shift had ended and Vanessa felt a sinking disappointment in the pit of her stomach. It was stupid and ridiculous that she was caught between wanting Charity’s attention to go away but then hating the fact that she probably wouldn’t see her again until they accidently ran into each other or Vanessa ventured back into the pub.

Vanessa knocked the rest of her drink back and slammed the pint glass back down on the bar.  What she was about to do was probably crazy and very poorly thought through – but before she had time to second guess herself she rounded the bar, passed a bemused Chas and headed through to the back of the pub. It was the same route she had stalked after Charity that night in October, determined to tell the other woman that their kiss in the cellar had been a drunken mistake. She’d be lying if she claimed she was completely against tonight going the same way.

When she reached the back room, she found Charity stood with her back against the kitchen unit, sipping slowly from a glass of what looked like water. She was looking out across the room, obviously deep in thought because she didn’t notice Vanessa enter to the left of her. There was a contemplative look on the blonde’s face – she almost looked sad. Vanessa felt a pang in her chest but quickly pushed it down.

 “Hey” she greeted softly.

Charity whipped her head in Vanessa direction, her brow knitting in confusion when they made eye contact. Any of the openness Vanessa had just witnessed on her features vanished as soon as Charity realised it was her. She could practically see the other woman’s walls rise as the confusion was replaced with a look of indignation.

“What do you want Ness?” the taller woman sighed.

That was the million-dollar question wasn’t it? The truth was that Vanessa really didn’t know what outcome she wanted or was even expecting. The fact Charity seemed to have created her own little pet name for her only confused Vanessa more. It had been a stupid idea to just follow the other woman without a clue what she wanted to say. It was no wonder Charity was looking at her like she had grown two heads.

Vanessa glanced back at the open door to the pub – tempted to forget about dignity, turn tail and just run away. She looked back at Charity just in time to see a flash of something across the blonde’s face. There was a fondness there, a look that the other woman had directed at her when they lay curled up in each other’s arms after sleeping together. Vanessa had been so confused when Charity hadn’t just kicked her out of bed – it’s what she had expected. Instead Charity had pulled her close, gently moved the hair that had stuck to Vanessa’s face and kissed her shoulder until Vanessa had fallen asleep. The memory kept Vanessa frozen to the spot and she hung her head in frustration. That was the reason she was stood here – that brief glimpse of tenderness under Charity’s steely mask.

She felt Charity move towards her and lifted her head just in time for the taller blonde to skirt around her towards the door. For a horrible second Vanessa thought Charity was going to walk out or tell her to leave but instead the other woman closed the door, giving them a little more privacy from the Woolpack’s evening punters. Charity stepped into Vanessa personal space immediately – wrapping her arms around the smaller woman’s waist from behind. Vanessa’s breath audibly hitched at the contact – both in surprise and immediate arousal. She closed her eyes and tried to maintain some composure, something she found virtually impossible with the gorgeous woman breathing down her neck.  

“You know it really is okay just to let go and actually enjoy yourself?” Charity cajoled.

The taller woman’s lips were pressed against the shell of Vanessa’s ear as she spoke, causing the vet to involuntarily shiver. Her body was melting into Charity’s – she seemed to fit perfectly against the other woman. Last time Charity had wooed her by offering to take her upstairs and show her a hangover cure – the other woman’s voice held the same gentle suggestive tone that it had that night. Vanessa just didn’t understand why Charity was so keen to pursue her. There was no obvious gain. She was a single mum on a vet’s salary – hardly the catch of the century.

“And what do you get out of this?” Vanessa wondered out loud.

She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth, worried that they would offend the other woman. That really wasn’t her attention – especially with Rhona’s words still ringing between her ears. Charity merely chuckled in response and nipped lightly at the lobe of Vanessa’s ear.

“I get to enjoy you” Charity practically purred in response.

Vanessa had felt like a coiled spring for weeks, eager to give in to the other woman’s charms but equally desperate to hold out. She had been stretched to her limit and Charity’s words made the coil snap back. Vanessa spun in the taller woman’s arms and pushed onto her tiptoes, smashing her mouth eagerly against Charity’s.

Vanessa grasped the back of Charity’s head with both hands and kissed her deeply. The other woman responded with just as much vigour – wrapping her arms tightly around Vanessa and grasping her shoulder and a handful of clothing. The kiss was open mouthed, their tongues tasting and teasing the other – hot and messy but so good. Vanessa had thought about what it was like to kiss Charity for at least an hour of each day since it had last happened. Charity had complimented her kissing on the night the barmaid had outed Vanessa, but Charity was no slouch herself.

Vanessa started walking backwards towards the stairs whilst they continued to kiss, drawing Charity with her. The taller woman pressed her against the wall just before the stairs, leaning her weight against Vanessa to pin her there as she devoured her mouth. Vanessa was ridiculously aroused considering they had only been kissing. She grasped at the front of Charity’s blouse and started fumbling with the top buttons. She managed to get at least four open before Charity pulled back.

“Are you sure you want this?” Charity asked breathlessly as she broke the kiss.

Vanessa looked at the other woman blankly. She had just followed the other woman into her home and kissed her. She was trying to divest the barmaid of her clothing for pete’s sake!

“I don’t mind being your dirty secret Ness” the taller woman continued - “but you don’t get to run out on me in the morning like I disgust you.”

Vanessa inwardly cringed at Charity’s words. Rhona had been spot on, Charity had been irked by her reaction the morning after they had slept together – maybe even hurt. Not that she ever thought Charity Dingle would admit to feeling anything other than arousal or contempt.

Vanessa reached up and moved a couple of stray strands of hairs back into place that had flopped across Charity’s brow. She could see the other woman’s stunning green eyes widening in surprise, but Charity didn’t pull away. So, Vanessa let her hand trail down over the taller blonde’s cheek and across her jaw. Charity really was beautiful, it wasn’t that Vanessa hadn’t noticed before that night in the cellar, but she hadn’t truly appreciated it.

“You don’t” she assured Charity - “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that”.

The taller woman dipped her head ever so slightly, her eyes lowering to Vanessa’s shoulder line. Charity reached out and fiddled nervously with the collar on Vanessa’s black jacket. She could tell Charity was at a loss at how to react to her affection – but also showed no inclination to move away.

Vanessa had been pushed up on her tiptoes to make herself a similar height to the other woman, but she let herself sink down onto the flat of her feet, so she could press delicate kisses against the area of Charity’s collar bone that she had exposed after opening the barmaid’s top buttons. Charity let out a barely audible moan at the contact.

“Let me show you” Vanessa entreated.

Charity hooked a finger under Vanessa’s chin – reminiscent of their first kiss in the cellar – and drew her mouth up to meet Charity’s. The barmaids tongue probed the seam of her lips and Vanessa responded eagerly as the kiss exploded with passion. Vanessa felt and heard Charity moan into her mouth and it inflamed her desire further. She grasped the other woman’s blouse again and continued her earlier attempts at opening the buttons. Charity’s hands went to work as well, unzipping Vanessa’s coat and pushing her hands up under the vets long sleeved top. Charity’s fingernails scraped up Vanessa’s stomach, stopping just below her bra. Each touch felt like it was searing marks against her skin, leaving pathways of fire in their wake.

As soon as Vanessa managed to fumble the last of Charity’s buttons open she ran her hands under the material and across the barmaid’s ribs, enjoying the smooth feel of Charity’s heated skin. Her hands only left the other woman long enough for the taller blonde to tug her jacket off and fling it haphazardly over the bannister.    

“Upstairs” Charity husked as soon as they broke the kiss.

Vanessa had no intention of disagreeing with the other woman and instantly started to direct Charity backwards and up the stairs. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands of each other, or their mouths, and they tried to stumble up the stairs whilst kissing. For a few steps they were successful but then Charity stumbled backwards and ended up sitting on the stairs. Vanessa didn’t have time to laugh before Charity was pulling her down to straddle the taller woman and they were frantically kissing again.

She couldn’t remember ever feeling this kind of overwhelming desire before or the aching heat at the pit of her stomach. Vanessa had been in such a state of shock the first night they had spent together that she had quietly followed the barmaid upstairs and it hadn’t become heated until they were in the privacy of the blonde Dingle’s bedroom. Tonight, even with the risk of Chas or someone else catching them, the temptation just to take Charity on the stairs was overwhelming. The lingering dregs of her propriety kicked in just enough to encourage her back to her feet. She helped pull Charity back up to her feet, keeping the other woman’s hand in her grasp as she guided them the rest of the way up the stairs and towards the bedroom door.

Vanessa may have only been in the room once before, but she remembered the route perfectly. It had felt like it was happening in slow motion on that night and she had replayed every moment over and over in her mind. Tonight, it was Charity who seemed to be in a daze as Vanessa pulled her into the bedroom and let the door swing close behind them. The taller blonde kicked into life when they entered the room though and before Vanessa knew what was happening she had been swung around and pressed backwards against the door.

Charity tugged Vanessa’s top over her head and flung it on the floor somewhere behind them. Charity’s own open blouse following close behind. The taller woman pressed forward, so their bodies were pressed together – the exposed skin sliding gloriously against each other. The barmaids mouth started blazing kisses down her neck, occasionally scrapping sensitive skin with her teeth and nipping at it. Vanessa’s knees felt like they might buckle but she tried to ground herself by focussing on removing the other woman’s pretty black lace bra and her own simpler blue cotton underwear. Charity’s hands went south in response and began unbuttoning her jeans.

“You really do smell so good” the taller woman hummed against her neck.

“You feel so good” Vanessa moaned as their completely naked upper bodies pressed deliciously together.

Charity crashed their lips back together in response and Vanessa responded eagerly. The intensity of the kisses where going to leave her lips swollen in the morning, but she didn’t care. She wanted everything Charity had to give her – all that pent-up desire and sexual tension - wanted it to consume her. She could worry about what it all meant in the morning but for tonight, consequences be dammed.

Charity guided her away from the door and round to the side of the double bed. Vanessa didn’t have time to react before she was unceremoniously pushed backward onto the bed, so she was sprawled on her back with her legs hanging over the edge. Any words of protest died on her lips when she looked up at the landlady. Charity’s eyes were darker than normal and full of lust – her face was virtually predatory – yet instead of scaring Vanessa it completely thrilled her. For, as dominant as Charity was now being, Vanessa felt like she held the balance of power.

She pushed herself up, so she was propped up on her left elbow and grasped one of Charity’s own hands in her right. She drew the hand down into the open zipper of her jeans, sliding it under her underwear and into the wet heat she could feel pooling between her own legs. Charity let out a strangled whimper in response and started stroking her fingers along sensitive skin, tracing Vanessa’s folds with skilled light touches.

The smaller blonde drew her own hand back out of her jeans and leant back onto both elbows, moaning deeply when the other woman’s fingers danced tantalisingly close to her swollen, throbbing clit. Then Charity suddenly withdrew her hand, causing Vanessa to whimper in protest. Those skilled hands set straight to work though, pulling Vanessa’s jeans off in two short sharp tugs. Her socks followed swiftly but Charity paused with her hands hooked into the elastic of Vanessa’s lacy underwear. The landlady slowly drew them down her legs and a tantalising pace – her green eyes never leaving Vanessa’s until the garment was discarded on the floor somewhere.

Then Charity’s beautiful eyes raked down her body, settling on the apex between her legs with a look of unadulterated hunger. Vanessa watched, her limbs shaking lightly in anticipation, as Charity dropped to her knees and grasped Vanessa’s thighs – parting her legs so she was totally exposed to the other woman. Then Charity dipped her head and her sinful mouth was upon Vanessa – tongue tracing the same folds that her fingers had briefly explored. The tip of Charity’s tongue teased at Vanessa’s entrance, hooking and tasting her – teasing her by avoiding direct pressure in the one place she desperately needed it.

“Please” Vanessa begged – “please I need you.”

She half expected the other woman to ignore her, but Charity gave into her pleas immediately – moaning into Vanessa’s sex as she latched her lips around her clit and sucked gently. Vanessa’s hips nearly leapt off the bed in response and Charity pressed her back down onto the bed with a firm hand on the smaller woman’s thighs. Charity raked her front teeth over the sensitive nub as she sucked, drawing a strangled moan from Vanessa each time. The land lady seemed to be enjoying going down on Vanessa just as much as Vanessa enjoyed receiving it if the moans falling from Charity’s mouth were any indication.

Each moan reverberated against the vet’s sensitive flesh, heightening the experience. Then, just when Vanessa didn’t think it could possibly feel any better Charity flattened her tongue and ran it back and forward across Vanessa’s clit at the most amazing angle. It seemed to hit every sensitive spot and she cried out in pleasure. It only spurred Charity on more and she pushed harder and faster – playing Vanessa like she was an instrument and the conductor wanted the piece of music in allegro.

The vet tried to hold out for as long as possible, her hands firmly grasping at the blanket and her feet curling as she tried to stem off the impending orgasm. It was inevitable though that she couldn’t last long under Charity’s skilled and eager administrations. When she came it was in a mess of shaking limbs and a husky illegible cry. Her ears felt like they were ringing and her limbs heavy. Then Charity’s mouth was descending greedily up her body before capturing her lips in a messy, breathless kiss. She could taste herself on the taller blonde’s mouth – wondered if Charity would taste the same or similar. It wasn’t something she had tried the first time but the idea of tasting the other woman and pleasuring her in that way had played on her mind ever since that first night.

Charity wasn’t finished with her yet though – that eager mouth which had now moved North was replaced by the landlady’s hand. Two fingers traced through over sensitised wet folds, making Vanessa twitch, before reaching their target. When Charity eased both fingers deep inside Vanessa and curled them against her walls, the vet’s eyes practically rolled to the back of her head.   

“So good” Vanessa encouraged as she wrapped her arms tight around Charity’s strong shoulders – “feels so good.”

It wasn’t just how skilled the taller woman was but how it felt as they moved against each other. How good it felt to be against and wrapped around Charity’s naked body. The way the blonde’s hardened nipples scraped against her skin and the evidence of Charity’s own desire dripped against Vanessa’s thigh. It was amazing she had gotten this far into her life without realising how far from ‘straight’ she obviously was. Here, with eyes slammed closed and body taut with desire, she couldn’t imagine touching another bloke again.

“Vanessa” Charity demanded – “Ness look at me whilst I fuck you.”

It was crude, but the vet couldn’t help but be aroused by both the dirty language and the assertiveness behind it. When she opened her eyes, she was met by the landlady’s piercing green eyes – her face only centre metres away from Vanessa’s. The voice and demeanour may have been assertive and confident, but Charity’s eyes gave her away. The conversation with Rhona and then with Charity herself at the bottom of the stairs rang out in Vanessa’s mind. The taller blonde didn’t want to be treated like she ‘disgusted’ Vanessa and the fact the vet wasn’t looking at her directly played into that fear.

She was far away from being disgusted with the other woman. Vanessa was in a state of absolute ecstasy and she doubted anyone, but Charity Dingle could take her there. It was a frightening thought – it was an exciting thought. So, Vanessa opened her eyes and stared directly into the other woman’s, letting that need and desire out into the open.

“You feel so fucking good Charity” she purred – purposefully using and putting the emphasis on the other woman’s name.

The taller blonde sped up her thrusts in response - pushing harder and deeper. Charity’s thumb flicked across her aching clit, matching the pace of the landlady’s long and talented fingers. Vanessa strained and struggled to keep her eyes open and on Charity. Her whole body felt like it was coiled tight and was about to spring back any moment. When it did – when her whole body spasmed and tightened against and around the taller blonde – it was with such intensity that the air was pulled roughly from Vanessa’s lungs. The only sound she uttered was a low strangled cry before she collapsed boneless back against the bed. The room silent apart from both women’s deep breathing.

Her eyes had slammed shut as she came despite her best efforts to keep them open. Her eyelids felt heavy as she lay inert on the bed – like they were made of lead. Then, a soft kiss (one could almost describe as affectionate if it wasn’t from Charity Dingle) was pressed to her sternum.  Vanessa forced her eyes open just as the other woman lay her head against the vet’s chest, covering the area she had just kissed with her cheek.

Vanessa glanced down and was able to make out a faint smile on Charity’s face – she looked content. She looked relaxed. That alone was enough to surprise Vanessa all over again. She couldn’t help but reach up and stroke her fingers through Charity’s lush blonde curls – playing with the tips between her thumb and forefinger. She thought Charity may protest but instead the other woman hummed contentedly. Vanessa could easily fall asleep wrapped up in Charity like this – could easily awake that way too. Although she intended to have her own way with the gorgeous blonde first after she recaptured enough of her breath back.

That was exactly why this had been a terrible idea. She’d seen a spark of something in the cellar and then again, the next night that had made her wonder if there was far more depth to Charity Dingle than what met the eye. Now, she knew her theory had been confirmed. The pulsing feeling in her chest, the blood rushing through her veins – it was called hope. The glimmer of a chance that Vanessa could find away through Charity’s walls in a similar way that the taller blonde had unlocked something inside of the vet.

Pandora’s box had been opened for Vanessa. As everyone knew – once you’d opened it you could never put the contents back. She wasn’t even sure she’d want to even if she could. Charity was fire and brimstone and Vanessa was the moth attracted to the bright light of the flame.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated x


End file.
